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Re-installing the engine and drive

I started the re-installation by mounting a few basic items back onto the transom, namely the trim pump, the bilge blower, and I installed all new blower/vent hose. Keep in mind (in case yours was missing or you forget) that you should have your exhaust hoses down low, but not at the bilge level. That's how mine was from the factory, at least. My intake/fresh air side was mounted to the top of the battery tray.

For the bilge pump, I got an 1100 gph manual one from Rule along with a Rule float switch. Those will both go down in the bilge under the engine, on top of the small piece of wood that's been glassed in. Remember to loop the hose right before it connects to the through-hull discharge fitting so that it's up higher than the fitting so you don't get water backing up into the hose and down into the bilge.

I also prepared the wiring for re-installation by putting new zip ties on everything, checking all the connectors for corrosion and generally cleaning it all up. Here's the pile of wire I started with:

Along with that, I buffed the transom, then installed the new transom drain and new, larger through-hull fitting for the new 1100 gph bilge pump. All screws and hardware got a dose of sealant before they were installed. Here's a few pictures:

The gimbal housing and associated assembly pieces (trim rams, etc) were an easy installation, aside from cleaning all the old gaskets. My Dad and I found that 3M adhesive remover worked pretty well for all the residue. The new gimbal housing to transom gasket that comes in the kit is a foam tube, whereas the original appeared to be a neoprene shaped-to-fit piece. The improved foam tube gasket is much, much better. I followed the manual for installation by running a bead of marine adhesive/sealant inside the seal groove, pushed the seal into the groove, glued the ends of the seal together, then pushed the gimbal housing onto the transom. All the bolts lined up and fit well.

DJ says "Can I get back to my Pokemon game now?".

The swim deck was the next step. This wasn't hard at all, but that is definitely one clumsy piece of equipment. I had a friend of mine help out. I think I used a tube of sealant on this thing.

Next I set the transom plate in place on the inside and tightened it down according to the manual. There's a specific torquing pattern - follow it, you'll be glad you did.

Here's a picture as I was test-fitting everything:

Unfortunately this is the last time the bilge pump was located in that spot. For whatever reason, even though this pump is shorter than the original, during engine installation we found that the bottom of the oil pan interfered with the pump. It was too tall, so it'll have to be moved forward to a more open position, not under the oil pan sump. This is OK since that makes it more serviceable, but is a pain because I had all the wiring and tubing pre-cut and secured for that location.

Installing and adjusting the engine is covered really well in the service manual. Follow the instructions! They're excellent. If you don't, you stand a really good chance of eating the splines on your outdrive's driveshaft.

The key to installation is finding a good hoist. A cherry picker definitely wouldn't work for me. There's many ways to get it done, but I was able to use a friend's A-frame hoist. It's a perfect solution.

Here's a shot of the engine after installation:

The drive went on without drama. I purchased an alignment tool via eBay and used it to line the engine up with the gimbal bearing. This is required. If it's not done, you risk eating your driveshaft and/or coupler due to uneven pressure on the splines. Be sure to get one! It's tedious but it works.

I don't have an outdrive cradle so I asked by brother-in-law to stop by and he held the drive while I lined it up. I tried this once by myself and almost killed myself and came close to dropping the drive. With a helper, especially the kind that work on oil rigs, things become much simpler. And safer!

The engine started after turning over 5 or 6 times, and fell right into a nice, even idle. The temp came up to 140-ish on the gauge and the thermostat took over from there, and oil pressure was right around 40-50 psi at idle. The trim pump is going to need some help getting all the air out; it still screams and complains on the way down. Up is OK. All-in-all, it was an excellent day.